National Exchange Club names Rome’s Toys For Tots top project
The National Exchange Club honored the Exchange Club of Rome with the top Community Service Club project award for the 2021 Toys For Tots campaign during its annual convention held in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Rome Club took over the local Toys For Tots effort for Northwest Georgia when the Marine Reserve armory was closed and moved to Marietta. Since then, Exchange members and community volunteers have come together in a year-round effort to make sure all families in need have toys for their children at Christmas time.
Part of the Rome contingent at the convention was TFT coordinator Linda Hatcher, who accepted the award banner from National Exchange Club President Kathy Mize. In addition, the club received a cash award
that Hatcher will use to help purchase toys for the over 3,500 kids who benefited from last year’s program.
“This banner and recognition really goes to all of those in the Exchange Club who volunteered and all those in the community that allowed us to place toy collection boxes in their places of business, those who donated and filled them up, and the countless number of community volunteers who helped for months sorting and stacking to make our campaign a success,” Hatcher said.
The campaign also helps provide toys for Polk and Chattooga counties, working with local volunteers in those counties as well.
The Rome project was selected as the nation’s best Exchange Club Community Service project from hundreds of entries submitted by other Exchange Clubs from around the country.